New York
City - It is spring,
and with the blossoms the arrival of Asia Week New York, an eagerly
anticipated event that has now become a cultural phenomenon -
even for a city that is a cultural powerhouse. Visitors from oversease
are everywhere - China, India, Europe, Thailand, Japan - joining
many Americans that come from all over the country to enjoy our
city, bid on lots at New York's famous auction houses, attend
lectures, and visit galleries showcasing Asian Art. Some are just
curious to find out what Asia Week New York is all about. And
what a cultural feast it is. Ancient artifacts from
Asia
with a patina that reflects their longeivity are a moving reminder
of just how old these civilizations are - and many modern and
contemporary artists from Asia are incorporating that incredible
heritage into their work in innovative ways. There is just not
enough time to savor it all.

Sotheby's
New York March Asia
Week features four sales: Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art,
Indian and Southeast Asian Art, Classical Chinese Paintings and
Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art. All include masterpieces
at every price level. Results for indiviudal sales are posted
in the sections devoted to them, included below.

The
overall total for this
week’s Asian art sales at Sotheby’s was $61,802,816,
well over the pre-sale estimate of $29.1 to $41.3 million.

Henry
Howard-Sneyd, Vice
Chairman, Asian Art at Sotheby’s said: “I am delighted
with the results of our week of Asian art auctions that exceeded
the high estimate by over $20 million, to bring an overall total
of $61.8 million. The results, especially the records set in the
auction of Classical Chinese Paintings, reaffirm New York’s
position as a global centre for the Asian Art market.”

Left:
detail of Lot 291,
"Standing Vishnu," Gilt copper, Nepal, dated by inscription
'samvat 226' (1105 CE), one of the earliest Nepalese bronzes to
come to auction; Lot 350, Arhat, Distemper on Cloth, Sino-Tibetan,
Quianglong Period; dated by inscription 1735-1796, likely 1794;
dated and inscribed in Tibetan, Mandarin and Mongolian. Both will
be offered in the Indian and Southeast Asian Art Auction

Illustrated
here are some of
the treasures - and exciting contrasts - of Sotheby's March Asia
Week New York.

Lot 291,
"Standing Vishnu,"
circa 1105, is a glorious gilt on copper work of devotion with
ages old patina, and one of the earliest Nepalese bronzes ever
to come to auction. On the right is Lot 350,"Arhat"
distemper on cloth, dated by inscription to 1735-1796, glowing
with the intensity of hand-mixed and naturally sourced pigments
that have withstood the test of time. It is inscribed in Tibetan,
Mandarin and Mongolian, and is a depiction of a tolerant,
multi-cultural
and - possibly - inter-faith community. Sotheby's catalogue for
this sale notes that "as per the Chinese inscription, the
current work was hung in the Zhongzheng Hall, the then-epicenter
of Tibetan Buddhist practice in Beiijings Forbidden City. Within
the Forbidden City, there were more than 40 halls dedicated to
Buddhist practice, in which Mongolian and Tibetan lamas, by imperial
decree, carried out daily liturgical rite and scriptural recitation
for the benefit of the Quianlong imperial family."

Anuradha
Ghosh-Mazumdar, Vice
President, Sotheby's Head of Department, Indian and Southeast
Asian Art, described Lot 291, "Standing Vishnu," as
one of the most talked about pieces of Asia Week. The spectacular
gilt-bronze is described in detail in the section devoted to Indian
and Southeast Asian Art in this review.

Both lots
will be offered in
Sotheby's Indian and Southeast Asian Art auction.

Lot 291
has an estimate of
$200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $590,500 including the
buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article. Lot 350, "Arhat,
Distemper on
Cloth, Sino-Tibetan, Quianglong Period," has an estimate
of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $80,500.

Centuries
apart, two very different
paintings share sublime sfumato and rigorous
drawing (illustrated
above). On the left, a detail of Lot 643, "Temples On Mountains
of The Immortals," was painted in ink on paper as a hanging
scroll in China between 1501-1583 by Wen Jia. The painting is
illustrated in the section devoted to Classical Chinese Paintings
in this review. On the right is a superb graphic painting by MF
Husain (1915-2011), Lot 68, "Untitled (Horse)," a favorite
subject of the artist. It will be offered in Sotheby's Modern
and Contemporary South Asian Art sale.

Lot 643
has an estimate of
$200,000 to $300,000, and is from The Ching Yuan Chai Collection,
the studio name given to the collection of Chinese and Japanese
paintings bleonging to Professor James Cahill and his family.
It sold for $1,314,500.

Lot 68 has
an estimate of $50,000
to $70,000. It sold for $62,500.

Sotheby's
galleries glowed
with Asian art treasures during previews, including magnificent
paintings in all the sales - Himalayan and Tibetan thangkas,mandalas, Indian and Mughal Miniatures, sublime
classical
Chinese paintings in ink on silk and paper - as well as ancient
bronzes, stone sculptures, devotional works from Tibet, India
and Nepal, superb jades, and furniture.

China is
world famous for ceramics
spanning centuries, and Sotheby's "Fine Chinese Ceramics
and Works of Art" sale includes an iconic brushpot, Lot 93,"An
Extremely Rare Famille Rose 'Heaven and Earth' Revolving Brushpot,"
Qianglong Seal Mark and Period. This amazing work of art is as
exquisite as it is innovative, and all the more impressive because
it was not just designed to be beautiful. It was intended to be
used.

Lot 93 is
illustrated at the
top of this review, and again above, with Henry Howard-Sneyd,
Sotheby's Vice Chairman, Asian Art, who demonstrated how it revolved
with great enthusiasm. Lot 94, (also) "An Extremely Rare
Famille Rose 'Heaven and Earth' Revolving Brushpot, Qianglong
Seal Mark and Period, is the pair to Lot 93 - not identical, but
both feature phoenix, and other fine creatures, on an ethereal
blue background, with a turquoise enameled interior. (Lot 94 is
illustrated in the section devoted to this sale in this review).
Regina Krahl writes in Sotheby's catalogue for this sale:

"Revolving
and interlocking
porcelains represent the last great triumph of the imperial porcelain
kilns at Jingdezhen in south China, the most innovation of the
Qianglong period (1736-95). At a time when the range of technical
skills and inventive ideas seemed virtually exhausted, the potters
experimented with the nearly impossible to impress their demanding
imperial patron. Even in theory, to make vessels with loose parts
out of porcelain - epitome of firmness and stability - seemed
like a contradiction in terms. In practice, to assemble vessels
with double walls from individual elements, fired to millimeter
precision and neatly interlocking to assure their film hold and
make them fully serviceable, yet to keep them freely movable,
required not only ingenious design, but almost miraculous
craftsmanship.
Not surprisingly such masterworks of the potter's art are outstandingly
rare. Only four other brush pots with movable components seem
to be preserved, three of them in the Palace Museums in Beijing
and Taipei" (from Trigrams Rotating for the Quianglong
Emperor "...revolving as one wishes, for perpetual good luck..."

Lot 93 has
an estimate of $120,000
to $150,000. It sold for $1,986,500. Lot 94 has an
estimate
of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $1,538,500.

The
brushpots came from
a Massachusetts private collection, and were each just 4 3/4 inches
high. Bidding was ferocious for both pieces, and at one stage
in the auction, the auctioneer asked for a bid from the room and
was offered $100,000. Immediately, a Sotheby's specialist bidding
for a client by phone yelled out " "$1 million."

The
combined total for Lots
93 and 94 was $3.5 million, an astonishing result given the pre-sale
estimates for each lot.

Illustrated
above is "Lot
135, "A Fine Huanghuali Six-Post Canopy Bed," Jiazichuang,
Ming Dynasty, circa 16th to 17th century, with its own "step-up
stool, one of several beautiful pieces of furniture on offer in
Sotheby's "Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art" sale.
The catalogue for this sale notes that "intact canopy beds
are extremely rare. Virtually none retain their original paneled
tops."This bed is graceful, without being
pretentious
- and in superb condition given its vintage. It has an estimate
of $350,000 to $450,000. It sold for $422,500.

Sotheby's
is offering several
magnificent ancient Chinese bronzes and works of art in various
materials including jade, lapis, rhinoceros horn and lacquer.
"Ancient" takes on new meaning in Asian culture, when
(Lot 13), "A Rare Archaic Bronze Double-Owl Food Vessel"
from the Shang Dynasty (12th century B.C.) is as stylish-looking
as this finely crafted example - and, to make it even more delectable,
it is inspired by those magnificent creatures - owls. Harry Potter
would certainly approve.This
fine vessel must have been used at extremely classy dinner parties.
In the arts, "civilization" and "civilized"
means having party dishes like this to impress the guests with.
The peering owl-eyes, perky beak and rope-twist handle are very
winsome touches. Lot 13 is also a technical marvel, perfectly
cast and embellished by artisans without the sophisticated tools
we have today.

Lot 13 has
an estimate of $400,000
to $600,000. It sold for $1,258,500.

Lot 208, "An Imperially Inscribed
Finely
Carved Spinach Jade Brushpot," Qianglong Period, (1795)
is one of my favorite Asia Week highlights because it symbolizes
mind-blowing creativity, technical virtuosity, it references nature
and poetry, and it is eco-friendly and "green." The
carved stand upon which it rests is a fitting base for such a
gorgeous object:

"...the thick walls deeply carved
and
undercut around the exterior with a wondrous waterscape depicting
two immortals and their attendant in two rafts returning from
a herb gathering trip, two sages standing on a terrace overlooking
the swiftly flowing waters, the entire scene punctuated with fantastic
rocks and luxuriant trees creating a lush atmosphere, the characters
yun bu fei ling (a cascade of clouds mermeating the
grove)
inscribed on a rock, the top of the mouthrim incised with a
twenty-eight
character inscription from a Quianglong poem, followed by the
date, Qianlong yimao xia yuti (imperially inscribed by Qianglong
during the summer of the yimao year) and the seal, hui xin bu
yuan (the heart's delights are never far)...(Sotheby's catalogue
for this sale).

"The hearts delights are never
far"
if one can stare at something as beautiful as this every day.
The "rim" is incised with this inscription (poem):

"Here common craft
abandons its trade,

becomes erudite in
antiquity,

And becomes a waterfall
scene

on this brushpot.

The lattice lookout
seems set

as if in seven-syllable
verse,

Which could only be
Taibai's

song of Censer Peak."

"The Quianglong emperor may have
written
the above poem while visiting the picturesque waterfall of Xianglu
Peak, one of the four peaks at Lu Mountain in Jiangxi province...It
is known that the Quianglong emperor possessed a superior
connoisseurship
of jade and insisted on examining every peice presented to him,
which he categorized according to shape, color, quality and style.
On many occassions, such as that seen on this brushpot, his response
to jade carvings inspired poetic compositions, which was then
inscribed on to the vessel." (Sotheby's catalogue for this
sale)

Taibai was a famous poet whose
poetry impressed
the emperor. Love of poetry manifests in so many Chinese works
of art.

Carved out of a solid piece of
jade, this beautiful
vessel is definitely worth a poem or two. Lot 208 has an estimate
of $200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $1,426,500, many times
its high estimate, and was sought after by at least five bidders.

Lot
686, "Emperors
of the Southern Song" 12th to 13th Century, Calligraphy in
Various Script Forms: ink on silk, three fan leaves and one album
leaf now mounted as a handscroll, various sizes; illustrated above
is the third fan leaf; Collector's label: Song emperor Guangzong's
imperial brush in couplet form, running standard script; Artist's
inscription: "A winter butterfly flutters along the luxuriant
bank while a waterfowl plays in the sandy shoals;" Collectors
inscription: this piece was meant to accompany a fan painting
from the Song painting academy drawn from life. In the gap there
is a two character seal 'yin shu' that can still be seen. From
the emperors of the Southern Song, this is by the hand of the
Song emperor Guangzong. The sixth month of the dingchou year (1817)
by an old man of eighty-five years, Fanggang. With one artist's
seal, yu shu, and four collector's seals, pan jian an tu shu yin,
wu yuan hui li quang song lou, cheng qi jian cang

One
light-filled gallery was
devoted to Classical Chinese Paintings - the debut sale of this
category in Sotheby's New York March Asia Week series of events.
A highlight of this sale is Lot 686, "Calligraphy in Various
Script Forms by the Emperors of the Southern Song," 12th
to 13th century, originally three separate fan leaves and one
album leaf, now mounted as a handscroll that includes touching
poems written by the first four emperors of the Southern Song
Dynasty, the first being Emperor Gaozong, who established the
Southern Song Dynasty in 1127.

Lot 686,
Emperors of the Southern
Song," 12th to 13th century, Calligraphy in Various Script
Forms,"a handscroll, (third of four illustrated above), is
one of 160 lots of fine paintings and calligraphy dating from
the 12th to the 20th century that will be offered in Sotheby's
Classical Chinese Paintings Sale. An ink on silk painting on three
fan leaves and one album leaf now mounted as a handscroll, the
third fan leaf bears the artist's inscription:

"A winter
butterfly flutters
along the luxuriant bank while a waterfowl plays in the sandy
shoals."

The artist
in this instance
was the Song emperor Guangzong, documented on the collectors label:
"Song emperor Guangzong's imperial brush in couplet form,
running standard script..." (shown above)

Lot 686
has an estimate of
$750,000 to $1,000,000. It sold for - be prepared -
$5,682,500.

It
seems that works of art
that include poems written by emperors are spectacular best-sellers.

Fine
modern and contemporary
paintings and sculpture from South Asia - and paintings by 20th
century Chinese artists - bring the creative flow of Asia's artistic
heritage full circle to the present, offering even more exciting
juxtapositions, such as the exceptional and rare (Lot 291) "Standing
Vishnu" from Nepal created in the 12th century, and Lot 64,
"Untitled (Shiv-Shakti Series)," a powerful piece by
Gulam Rasool Santosh (1929-1997) that references the ancient Indian
art of tantra, which the artist revitalized in the 20th century
with a new vocabulary he created for tantric art based on geometrical
abstraction. Lot 64 is illustrated in the section on "Modern
and Contemporary Art" in this review.

Modern and
contemporary artists
from Asia are keeping their cultural history alive by incorporating
its ancient myths and legends, spirituality, references to the
world's oldest religions and love of nature in their work. India
and China are now a major force in the world, and as they forge
ahead in the 21st century there is greater interest in works of
art from their past, and of present generation
movers and
shakers that are documenting their rapidly changing world - to
international acclaim.

Illustrated
above is Lot 57,
"Jalashaya," a beautiful abstract by Sayed Haider Raza,
who has been influenced by the mystical powers of nature throughout
his life:

"The use
of symbols is
sanctified by an ancient and continuous Indian tradition of visual
abstraction. The mandala and yantra are
powerful
visual aids to meditation and reflect the interconnected nature
of the universe to the initiated viewer. By the mid 1980s, Raza's
paintings had become tightly ordered geometric compositions that
were very closely related to these ancient artistic diagrams,
and the philosophical theories that they represent." (Sotheby's
catalogue for this sale).

Lot 57 has
an estimate of $200,000
to $400,000. It sold for $242,500.

Lot
223, "Lovers On
a Terrace," India, Lucknow, 1760

The
delectable Indian Miniature
illustrated above, Lot 223, "Lovers On a Terrace," India,
Lucknow, circa 1760, is far more luscious than the photograph
conveys. These beautiful classic paintings have influenced more
Asian artists than it is possible to name here, including many
of the present-generation. Lot 223 has an estimate of $25,000
to $35,000, and will be offered in Sotheby's sale of Indian and
Southeast Asian Art. It sold for $92,500.

Only some
of the wonderful
works on offer at Sotheby's Asia Week New York are shared here,
sadly it is not possible to include many more. This review continues
in the order in which the sales are presented.

For some
time Sotheby's has
included works of art by South Asian artist's in their most
presitigious
Contemporary Art Evening and Day sales. These artists are now
internationally acclaimed, their work sought after by global
collectors,
and they have received the ultimate accolade - for an artist -
of major museum and gallery shows. This year Subodh Gupta will
have three museum shows in three different countries. Anish Kapoor
has already had several museum shows.

Contemporary
art is without
boundary today, and many selections in Sotheby's Modern and
Contemporary
South Asian Art sales over the years reflect that. Asia itself
is extremely diverse, but great artists look for ways in which
they can communicate universally. Few if any artists welcome
boundaries.
For many reasons, some famous South Asian artists have lived and
studied abroad, and their work is fascinating for its fusion of
Eastern and Western influences. Most of the great Modernists of
the Progressive Artists Group whose work features in this sale
studied and lived abroad - including here in America - some maintaining
a base in their homeland, or returning to it late in their careers.
Some never returned, but held onto to their rich cultural heritage
in their work. The Progressive Artist's Group in particular were
influenced by artists like Picasso, Cezanne and Van Gogh, among
others. Like Husain and Raza, so many of these artists also reference
the vibrant colors of Indian Miniature painting - the luscious
colors of India itself.

The next
generation of South
Asian artists are global citizens that reference migration and
globalization in their work. Instead of distancing these artists
from their heritage, however, globalization has made many of them
acutely aware of it. Some are inspired to incorporate ancient
themes and motifs into their art. The influence of spirituality
and some of the world's oldest religions are inseparable from
any discourse on Asia - including Asian art. Despite progress
and globalization, India, for example, is steeped in religious
and spiritual rituals that play out in every day life, from the
inscense spiraling besides statues of favorite gods and goddesses
in stores, to men laying down their briefcases at a shrine to
bow their heads in prayer for ten minutes during a hectic work
day.

For those
that cannot live
in their homeland, or must travel back and forth between hemispheres
from necessity - family, work, education - being able to reference
and share what was lost or left behind makes the world seem smaller,
more connected.

The world is
getting
smaller. South Asian artist Zarina Hashimi (born 1937) has been
New York based for decades, and she lived in several countries
before that. Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary Art sale includes
an installation by Zarina entitled "Home is a Foreign Place,"
(Lot 81), executed in 1999, a print series on handmade Japanese
Kozo paper, mounted on Somerset paper.

Contemporary
art often comments
on our society and culture, and sometimes alludes to that which
is endangered - animals, flora and fauna, tribes living in formerly
isolated parts of the world, freedom. The list is endless.

In
addition to re-interpreting
the notion of "place" and its meaning in a globalized
world, Zarina celebrates and incorporates a centuries-old tradition
of hand-made paper in "Home Is a Foreign Place." Somerset
paper is made by St. Cuthbert's Mill of England, and is the standard
of excellence for printmaking papers - made from tree free 100%
cotton lintners salvaged from the textile industry. Innovation
that saves trees is possible in the 21st century.
Artists
help us become aware of many important things.

Another
edition of this print
series is currently on view at The Museum of Modern Art in New
York, in a wonderful installation in the Contemporary Galleries
that highlights "Works from the 1980s to NOW." (Reviewed
on this site in Art/Museums).

Lot 81,
"Home Is a Foreign
Place," by Zarina has an estimate of $12,000 to $14,000. It
sold for $50,000.

At the
Indian Art Fair in Delhi
in January 2012, it was evident that several contemporary Asian
artists are incorporating Japanese hand-made papers into their
work - as well as indigenous hand made papers. Indian artisans
have made paper by hand forever, and some continue to do so, but
their art is in danger of dying out. Japanese hand-made paper
is among the finest ever created, requiring skilled artisans,
and it takes a very long time to make. Time is perhaps the most
endangered commodity in the 21st century. Artists help make us
aware of that too.

Together
with the work of modern
giants like MF Husain, FN Souza, SH Raza and other members of
of the Progressive Artists Group, there are beautiful paintings
by artists of The Bengal School in this sale. In Sotheby's catalogue
for this sale Priyanka Bannerjee, Sotheby's Head of Sale, Modern
and Contemporary South Asian Art, writes:

"Of
particular interest
(however) are the under-represented modernist pioneers, those
artists that had looked inward to the country's spiritual core
for inspiration. We are pleased to offer significant works by
Prabhakar Barwe. H.S. Gade, A. Ramachandran, G.R. Santosh, Sohan
Qadri and Aavinash Chandra. We pay special tribute to Bengal,
the heart of contemporary innovation since the beginning of the
20th century with works by artists such as Hemendranath Mazumdar,
Bikash Bhattacharjee, J.P. Gangooly, Ganesh Pyne and Ramkinker
Baij..."

"Artists
have their epiphanies
- and that for G.R.Santosh can be traced back to a journey that
he undertook out of, perhaps curiosity, but which changed his
painterly and personal life. From an experience that can only
be described as mystical, Santosh turned his exploratory journey
as an artist into an inward looking process that would result
in the revitalisation of the ancient Indian art of tantra..."
(Kishore Singh, Art Features Editor, February 13th 2012, included
in Sotheby's catalogue for this sale).

Lot 69 has
an estimate of $40,000
to $60,000. It sold for $50,000.

Lot 39,
Jagdish Swaminathan's
sublime - organically geometric - "Untitled (Bird, Tree,
Mountain Series)" depicts flowers, a hummingbird, and a hawk.
Although hawks are very much an Indian motif, and evident circling
in the skies throughout the sub-continent, it is unusual for the
artist to include one in his work:

"The
negotiation of geometric
space is highly redolent of mandala principle
central to
esoteric Indian iconography. In the 'Bird, Tree and Mountain Series,'
Swaminathan brings together aspects of the indigenous aesthetic,
including Indian Miniature paintings with their simple compositions
and forms, coupled with a bold use of color. In the 1960s and
1970s, Indian artists explored the manipulation of these esoteric
symbols and concepts in the synthetic artistic movement of
neo-tantrism."
(Sotheby's catalogue for this sale).

Lot 39,
"Untitled (Bird,
Tree, Mountain Series)," by Jagdish Swaminathan has an estimate
of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $194,500.

Fine
Chinese Ceramics
and Works of Art

Lot
94, "An Extremely
Rare Famille Rose 'Heaven and Earth' Revolving Brushpot, Qianglong
Seal Mark and Period, is the pair to Lot 93, illustrated at the
top of this review

Sotheby's Fine Chinese Ceramics
and Works of
Art" sale includes property from over seventy private collections,
some of which have not been seen in public for over fifty years.
The auction features fine ceramics, jades and furniture, including
a significant number of Imperial works of art. Fortunately for
us, China's emperors were great patrons of the arts, so we can
enjoy these wonders today.

Lot 93, illustrated at the top of
this review,
is the pair to Lot 94, illustrated here, also "An Extremely
Rare Famille Rose 'Heaven and Earth' Revolving Brush Pot, Qianglong
Seal Mark and Period." Like its pair, it is rich with Daoist
and cosmological symbolism. The technical marvels were recounted
earlier in this review, but here is more about the symbolism and
wildlife that appear on both brushpots:

"...the upper revolving section
painted
on opposite sides with a pair of phoenix amidst multi-colored
clouds, the lower section painted in blue enamels with a horse
carrying sacred scriptures, galloping above turbulent seas from
which emerge jagged rocks, two rocks sprouting sprigs of lingzhi
and two others with resting tortoises, the parting waves revealing
a branch of coral, a 'flaming pearl' and a rhinoceros horn, all
against a pale blue enamel feathere-scroll ground executed in
imitation sgraffito technique, slightly darker on the lower section..."

Lot 93, illustrated at the top of
this review
has an estimate of $120,000 to $150,000. It sold for
$1,986,500.

Lot 93 has an estimate of $80,000
to $120,000.
It sold for $1,538,500.

Chinese
furniture is making
quite a splash in the auction circuit. Two beautiful lots in this
sale are illustrated above with Cynthia Volk, Sotheby's Specialist,
Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, who highlighted them as
exceptional and rare: Lot 142, "A Pair of Large and Rare
Huanghuali Yokeback Armchairs," flank Lot 128, "A Fine
and Rare Huanghuali Compound Cabinet," circa 17th century,
both splendid in their sinuous lines and simplicity. Lot 127,
"A Fine Huanghuali Yokeback Armchair (Sichutou
Guanmaoyi),
Ming Dynasty, 17th century is not illustrated,

Lot 142
has an estimate of
$500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $602,500. Lot
128
has
an estimate of $250,000 to $400,000. It sold for $512,500.
Lot 127 has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000.It
sold
for $542,500.

These
are strong prices
for rare Chinese furniture.

Illustrated
below is a beautiful
temple bell, Lot 70, "An Imperial Gilt-Bronze Archaistic
Temple Bell, Bianzhong," Kangxi Mark and Period, Dated to
54th Year, Corresponding to 1715, one of a large collection of
bells acquired by a Connecticut collector over the course of many
years:

"Biangzhong
were
produced for the court during the Qing dynasty as an essential
component of Confucian ritual ceremonies at the imperial alters,
formal banquets and processions. The music produced by these
instruments
were believed to facilitate communication between humans and
deities...Cast
in equal size but varying in thickness, these bells were attached
to tall wooden frames in two rows of eight as depicted by Giuseppe
Castiglione (1688-1766) in his painting Imperial Banquet in
Wanshu Garden (c 1755), included in the exhibition Splendors
of China's Forbidden City. The Glorious Reign of Emperor Quianglong.
The Field Museum, Chicago, cat.no. 101" (Sotheby's catalogue
for this sale)

Lot 70 has
an estimate of $500,000
to $700,000. It sold for $818,500.

Before
ending this long list
of delectable Chinese works of art - with many more highlighted
earlier in this review - it seems appropriate to end with one
of the most recognizable Chinese artifacts that often form the
backdrop to some of the most celebrated homes in the world: the
black lacquer screen. These screens are also technical marvels:
gilding is exacting and painstaking, and lacquer takes a very
long time to dry. The description of Lot 161, "An Eight-Panel
Gilt-Lacquer Screen," Qing Dynasty, 19th century" (detail
only illustrated below) in Sotheby's catalogue for this sale says
it all:

"...Painted
in gilding
on a black lacquer ground with a festive scene of figures in an
elaborate garden pavillion with buildings and pagodas on a riverbed,
boats sailing past, with hills in the distance, all within a floral
and key-fret scroll border, the reverse decorated with a variety
of flowers and birds..."

Sounds
like paradise, which
is what this lovely screen manages to convey.

Today
at Sotheby’s
the Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Sale brought the outstanding
total of $20,709,776, significantly exceeding the pre-sale high
estimate of $16.8 million. The auction was led by two "Extremely
Rare Famille Rose ‘Heaven and Earth’ Revolving Brushpots,"
with Qianlong seal marks and dated to the period (ests. $120,000
to $150,000 and $80,000 to $120,000) which brought a combined total
of $3.5 million. There were also exceptional prices for jades,
archaic bronzes, and furniture among other areas of the sale.

Henry
Howard-Sneyd, Vice
Chairman, Asian Art and one of today’s auctioneers commented:
“Today’s outstanding total of $20.7 million showed that
collectors are prepared to fight for objects with rarity and good
provenance when offered at conservative estimates. Two Revolving
Brushpots from the Qianlong period led the sale bringing a combined
total of $3.5 million, many multiples of the high estimates. These
astonishing pieces are the product of ingenious design and almost
miraculous craftsmanship.”

At the
preview, Henry Howard-Sneyd
said it was the first time Sotheby's has offered Classical Chinese
Paintings, "that have become very sought after." Illustrations
of some of the paintings included in this sale make it easy to
see why. They are softly rendered - in ink on silk or paper -
exceptionally atmospheric, and they convey the ephemeral beauty
of nature without fussiness.

While
nature is a universal
theme in art, these are instantly recognizable as Chinese paintings.
It is a unique, timeless and beautiful style of painting governed
by an indespensable medium - ink. Again, the quality of the brushes,
ink - and the inkstone - are critical to the effects achieved
in these amazing works of art. These inks were not ready made,
but ground by hand.

Lot
644, "Landscape
After Lu Guang," Hongren, 1610-1663, ink on paper, hanging
scroll; from The Ching Yuan Chai Collection, the studio name given
to the collection of Chinese and Japanese paintings bleonging
to Professor James Cahill and his family.

Lot 644,
"Landscape After
Lu Guang," by Hongren, (1610-1663), is one of four beautiful
paintings from a legendary collection:

"Ching
Yuan Chai (Jingyuan
zhai) is the studio name given to the collection of Chinese and
Japanese paintings belonging to Professor James Cahill and his
family. Professor Cahill is a world reknowned scholar and one
of the most respected authorities on Chinese painting. The collection
was assembled over a period of three decades, beginning in 1954
in Japan. The collection is particularly strong in works from
the Ming (1368-1644) and Quing (1644-1911) dynasties...The studio
name Ching Yuan can be interpreted as 'Studio of Gazing at the
Abstruse' or 'Studio of [someone who is] Looking Hard at the Yuan
Dynasty.' A total of four exquisite works offered in this sale
belongs to Professor Cahill's daughter Sarah." (Sotheby's
catalogue for this sale).

"At the
fall of the Ming
dynasty the artist known as Hongren was ordained as a Buddhist
monk. Born into an impoverished family in Shexian, Anhui, he passed
the provincial examination which, under normal circumstances,
would have led to an official career. With the fall of the dynasty
in 1644, however, he chose to avoid political entanglements and
instead of serving the new regime he became a monk. This was the
path taken by many like-minded scholars of the time...Hongren
spent the remainder of his short life in monasteries in and around
the area of his birth. He became an important painter of landscapes
and the leading artist of the Huangshan, or Anhui, School of
painting..."
(Sotheby's catalogue for this sale).

Lot 644
has an estimate of
$1,000,000 to $1,200,000. It sold for $1,874,500.

Lot
643, "Temples
On Mountains of the Immortals," We Jia, 1501-1583, ink and
color on paper, hanging scroll; from The Ching Yuan Chai Collection,
the studio name given to the collection of Chinese and Japanese
paintings bleonging to Professor James Cahill and his family.

The
magnificent painting illustrated
above is Lot 643, "Temples on Mountains of the Immortals,"
by Wen Jia, (1501-1583), depicting temples situated in as idyllic
a landscape as nature can provide:

"The
composition is bisected
along a diagonal, with the top half depicting a Daoist temple
situated high atop treacherous mountain peaks, and the lower half
focusing on a stalactite grotto - seen as a gateway to paradise
in Daoist lore - from which a cascading stream flows. In the foreground
of the painting, in front of the grotto, two scholars and their
attendants are engaged in conversation. In the middle of the picture
two travellers make their way up a flight of stairs built on stilts
above cascading waterfalls. They will soon reach some sheltered
pavilions where they can take a rest before resuming their pilgrimage
to the Daoist temple at the top of the mountain. Wen Jia's painting
is a masterful synthesis of Daoist symbolism, narrative description,
and literary painting aesthetic." (Sothebys catalogue for
this sale).

A detail
of the stalactite
grotto was illustrated at the top of this review.

Lot 643
has and estimate of
$200,000 to $300,000. It is also from The Ching Yuan Chai Collection.
It
sold for $1,314,500.

Painted in
1946 when the artist
was almost 90 years old, Lot 700, "Eagle Perching On The
Pine," is a "modern" Chinese work of art. Boldly
executed, and bearing three seals of the artist, it was acquired
directly from the artist by the recipient, and kept in the family
ever since. Lot 700 has an estimate of $1,200,000 to $1,500,000.
It sold for $1,986,500.

Iris
Miao, Head of the
Classical Chinese Painting Department at Sotheby's New York talks
about the collection of paintings

Detail
of Lot 678, "Flowers
of The Four Seasons," by Lu Hui, ink and color on silk, handscroll,
1898

Complementing
spring, and the
return of blossoms and foliage, the delicate beauty of Lot 678,
"Flowers of The Four Seasons" (detail shown above) by
Lu Hui, captures the fragility and ephemeral nature of flowers.
"Signed Lu Hui, dated wuxu, the twenty-fourth year
of the Guangxu reign (1898), spring, third lunar month, inscribed,
and with one seal of the artist...(Sotheby's catalogue for this
sale). Lot 678 has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It
sold for
$170,500.

Today
at Sotheby’s
the auction of Fine Classical Chinese Paintings brought a total
of $35,162,938, totally eclipsing the pre-sale estimate of $9.8
to 13.7 million. Estimates tumbled throughout the sale and nine
lots sold for over $1 million. The auction was led by Lot 686,
"Emperors of the Southern Song, 12th to 13th Century, Calligraphy
In Various Script Forms" which sold for $5,682,500, several
times the $750,000 to 1 million estimate. This was the first time
Sotheby’s has included a dedicated sale of Classical Chinese
Paintings in the March series of auctions coinciding with Asia
Week New York.

Iris
Miao, Head of the Classical
Chinese Painting Department at Sotheby’s New York said: “I
am thrilled with the result of today’s Classical Chinese
Painting sale. Our total of $35.2 million is more than double
the pre-sale high estimate, an exceptionally rare result in the
auction world. Collectors and museums from across Asia and the
US responded with enormous enthusiasm to this showcase of the
finest Chinese paintings and calligraphy works dating from the
12th century to the 20th century, with collectors particularly
seeking the most important piecesthat
came with notable
provenance.”

The
Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York, bought Lot 752, "Eight Views of Huangshan,"
by Zheng Min (born in 1920),
a major work in the sale, which sold for a record setting
$2,322,500,
well over the $200/250,000 estimate.

Commenting
on the purchase Mike Hearn, Head of the Asian Art department
at the museum said:

“The acquisition of this gemlike album by Zheng Min featuring eight
views of Yellow Mountain (Huang Shan) will
immediately become one of the highlights of the Museum’s
major holdings of 17th-century Chinese paintings.”

Lot
753, "Thatched
Cottage In The Southern Village (Nancun Caotang Tu)," by
Wen Jia (1501-1583) is the artist's version of the famous composition
by the Yuan dynasty master Wang Meng. The original Wang Meng painting
is no longer extant but Wen Jia's copy sold for $5,122,500, many
times the $200,000 to $250,000 estimate, and a new record for the
artist at auction.

Lot
755, "Essay On
Aspiration (Lezhi Lun), Painting and Calligraphy," Zhao Mengfu,
attributed to 1254-1322, sold for $2,658,500 (with an estimate
of $300,000 to $500,000).

Auction
records were set
for Wen Jia and Zheng Min.

Indian
and Southeast
Asian Works of Art

Lot
291, "Standing
Vishnu," Gilt copper, Nepal, dated by inscription 'samvat
226' (1105 CE), one of the earliest Nepalese bronzes to come to
auction. A detail of this bronze is illustrated at the top of
this review.

The Indian
and Southeast Asian
Works of Art sale includes a stunning selection of Hindu and Buddhist
works of art from Nepal, and a diverse selection of gems from
India, Tibet - some with Sino-Tibetan and Mongolian connections
- Thailand, and Cambodia. There are also many superb Mughal and
Indian Miniatures, thangkas and mandalas,
some very
old but in immaculate condition - a testament to the genius of
the artists and artisans that created them.

One of the
most fascinating
and beautiful works of art of the season - illustrated earlier
in greater detail, and above - is Lot 291, "Standing Vishnu,"
dated by inscription to 1105 CE, created by the Newari metalworkers
of the Khatmandu Valley in Nepal. This incredible bronze was highly
praised by Anuradha Ghosh Mazumdar, Head of the Indian and Southeast
Asian Art Department at Sotheby's New York, who described it as
one of the most talked about pieces of this season.It is easy to understand
why. This
supreme work of art also has an extraordianry provenance. Sotheby's
catalogue for this sale notes that Lot 291 was gifted by the King
of Nepal, His Majesty Mahendra Bir Bikram Shal to the late Ambassador
His Excellency Chester Ronning between 1954-65:

"His
Excellency the late
Ambassador Ronning was a renowned collector of Asian art, and
a specialist in Buddhist and Hindu art and philosophy. He was
born in Hubei, China, where his parents were missionaries with
the China Inland Mission. He spoke Mandarin fluently and spent
25 years in China as a student, teacher and diplomat."

Anuradha
Ghosh Mazumdar added
a compelling anecdote about how, in the past, this statue would
have been carried out in a procession, so loaded down with the
garlands of devotees it was barely visible. Such descriptions
bring ancient ceremonies and religious rituals - and a work of
art like this - to life. While these rituals are still performed
today, this richly patinaed "Standing Vishnu evokes images
of a temple nestled against a backdrop of the ethereal, snow capped
mountains of the Himalayas at a time when few people visited the
spectacular region, and fewer even knew of its existence because
it was so isolated. Himalaya means "abode of the
gods"
in Sanskrit:

"During
the 'transitional
period (880-1200 CE),' the Newari proclivity toward elaborate
fire gilding and encrustation with semi-precious stones throughout
was used to enhance the grandeur of form and divine proportion,
further amplified by the later application of bright vermilion
paste by worshippers:"

Sotheby's
catalogue for this
sale also elaborates on the rich symbolism emodied in this work
of art:

"One-third
of the Brahmanic
triad in the Hindu pantheon, Vishnu, the sustainer, is worshipped
in many forms. Revered for his heroic actions in the epic volumes
of the Ramayana, the Mahabarata,
and the Puranas,
he is known chiefly through his avatars Rama and Krishna. Generally
represented as a handsome, voluptuous youth and dressed in royal
accountrments, Vishnu's two lower arms represent his involvement
in the divine sphere. The mace in his upper hand symbolizes primeval
strength; the conch in his lower left hand symbolizes the 'sound'
of creation and the origination of the five elements; the flaming
chakra in the upper right hand symbolizes the
destruction
of the ego through the following of one's dharma;
and the
lotus bud in the lower right hand symbolizes spiritual perfection"
(Sotheby's catalogue for this sale). One last fascinating fact
about ancient "Standing Vishnu:"

"Dr.
Gautama Vajracharya
explains that according to popular Hindu myth, Vishnu (i.e. Narayana)
annually slumbers during the four months of the monsoon season,
and wakes up on the twelfth day of the bright half of Kartika
month. This is the exact day for the consecration of the image."
(Sotheby's catalogue for this sale)

Lot 291
has an estimate of
$200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $590,500.

Anuradha
Ghosh Mazumdar talked
about Lot 290, ""Avalokiteshvara," gilt copper
with polychromy, created in Nepal in the 9th to 10th century,
also by Mewari metalworkers (it is illustrated "close-up"
at the top of this review). The reason for its extraordinary,
almost chocolate, color is attributed to the wearing away of the
gilding after ritual use for many centuries, sumptuous work of
art:

"...Traces
of cold gold
on the face of the sculpture, and remnants of blue polychrome
in the hair suggest that the sculpture left Nepal for Tibet at
some point in its history, where it was painted and gilt for veneration
in the classic Tibetan style..."

This sale
includes memorable
thangkas, mandalas and superb Indian and Mughal Miniatures.
One of the most luscious was previously illustrated at the top
of this review, Lot 223, "Lovers On a Terrace," with
an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. It sold for $92,500. These
paintings have to be seen in person to appreciate their beautiful,
jewel-like colors, a testament to the rigorous preparation of
the pigments, which are all natural, created long before a single
synthetic filler or substance entered the realm of fine arts.
They look as fresh today as when they were painted.

Lot 350,
"Arhat,"
a beautiful Sino-Tibetan thangka was illustrated
at the
top of this review, and another is equally superb, Lot 353, "The
Arhats Panthaka and Nagasena" a thangka in
distemper
on cloth created in Tibet in the 18th century, that will be described
and illustrated in the dedicated review of this sale. It is also
unusually rich in foliage, flowers and landscape. It has an estimate
of $15,000 to $20,000, which is very reasonable for a work of this
quality. It sold for $92,500.

Lot 211,
"An Illustration
to the Mahabarata: Krishna and the Pandava Princes battle Demons,"
India, Kangra, circa 1820, is a fantastic and dynamic painting,
formerly in the collection of Mrs. Lucille Ball Arnaz, illustrated
here. It has an estimate of $12,000 to $18,000. It sold for
$28,125.

One of the
most winsome lots
of the sale is illustrated below, Lot 252, "Standing Buddha,"
from Thailand, circa 13thto 14th century, created from copper
alloy. It has an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. It sold for
$50,000.

Further
highlights of this
include superb stone sculptures - notably a beautiful "Uma"
from Khmer, 11th century - and more exquisite thangkas,mandalas and Indian and Mughal Miniatures, will be
included
in a dedicated review of this sale.

Top
quality Khmer sculpture
is achieveing record prices at auction.

Sotheby's
Indian and Southeast
Asian Works of Art totaled $3,804,726, well within the $3 million to
$4.2
million pre-sale estimate.

Anuradha
Ghosh Mazumdar,
Head of the Indian and Southeast Asian Art Department at Sotheby's
New York said:

"I
am pleased with
the results of today's Indian and Southeast Asian Works of Art
sale. Our total of $3.8 million was comfortably within the estimate
and reflects the stable market in this category. We saw vibrant
bidding on the Indian Miniatures which drove many pieces above
their high estimates. There was global interest in all sections
of the sale with the Tibetan works particularly sought after by
collectors from Asia. The two top lots - the sculptures of Vishnu
and Uma - were completely fresh to the market which helped drive
them to prices well over the high estimates."

A
favorite "rest stop" for visitors during Asia Week New York was Central
Park. Above: Central Park Reservoir, New York City, Photo copyright
Michele Leight, March 2012

It is an
unparalleled treat
to see Modern and Contemporary South Asian and Chinese art set
against the backdrop of the art and artifacts of their ancient
civilizations, an opulent cocktail of ancient bronzes, mouth-watering
ceramics, Indian gods, Tibetan lamas, Khmer goddesses, and shimmering
gilt wonders from the Himalayan region - an all star cast complemented
by thought-provoking pieces from present-generation Asian artists.

Where else
would it happen
but in New York City, a
hot-house of history,
culture and the arts, which are passionately supported here? During one very special
week througout
this city, auction houses and galleries, legendary institutions
and world-class lecturers focus on treasures from Asia. It is
a golden opportunity to enjoy
a spectacular
show...

The
overall total for this
week’s Asian art sales at Sotheby’s was $61,802,816,
well over the pre-sale estimate of $29.1 to $41.3 million. An wonderful
result for Sotheby's - and for New York City.

As
the superb sales results
of Asia Week New York demonstrate, New York has become a global
center for the Asian Art market. If only this week could be longer.
There is so little time to savour its many delights...

More
About Asia
Week New York

In addition to the auction houses
- Christie's,
Sotheby's, Bonham's, Doyle's, iGavel - at least 34 galleries
participate
in Asia Week, each telling different and fascinating stories about
Asian artists of the past and the present. All are open to the
public - some by appointment only - which represents an unprecedented
opportunity to learn about the arts of Asia - and perhaps even
purchase something. Stories abound of gods and kings, samurai
and princeses, deities and buddhas. Some have
inspired
the contemporary heroes and she-roes we are are familiar with
today, that originated in some of these myths and legends.

There are lessons to be learned
from the incredible
patronage of the arts in civilizations now long departed, whose
leaders understood that the only way to preserve their heritage
beyond their tenure was to ensure that their artisans and artists
could live and work in peace - so they supported them. The fruits
of their labor and inspiration now educate and inspire us, and
hopefully succeeding generations. It is an incredible legacy.

Many wonderful lectures are
offered during
Asia Week. For more information about them, and participating
auction houses and galleries, visitwww.asiaweekny.com.